South Korean bereaved families and civic groups have called on game publisher Activision to remove real news footage of the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush from the opening cinematic of “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4”, saying the scenes have caused distress among survivors and victims’ families.

The seconds-long clips appear in a sequence depicting civilian casualties during a fictional North Korean invasion of South Korea. They show paramedics and bystanders performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on victims, bodies lying on the road and a victim being carried away on a stretcher, says The Guardian.

The Itaewon disaster occurred during Halloween weekend in 2022 in Seoul’s nightlife district of the same name. It resulted in 158 deaths, with two additional victims later officially recognised due to trauma-related deaths.

In a joint statement, the bereaved families’ council and a coalition of civic groups condemned the use of the footage.

“We are appalled that the chaotic and desperate scenes, in which countless citizens performed CPR to save one another and victims lay on the cold street, were used exactly as they were to create a scene in a game”

The groups said survivors, rescuers and witnesses continued to live with deep trauma. They also said hateful online comments targeting victims had resurfaced in connection with the game’s premise.

The Korean Game Users Association called on Activision to issue a formal apology and replace the clip. South Korean broadcasters aired side-by-side comparisons showing that footage originally published by Getty matched the in-game sequence frame for frame.

Activision addressed the issue in a statement provided to the Yonhap news agency, saying “some actual news footage included in the game’s opening cinematic was utilised as an element to convey the fictional story within the work.”

The company added, “We had absolutely no intention of mentioning or treating lightly any actual tragic events, including the Itaewon tragedy.”

The calls for the footage to be removed came as South Korea marked the fourth anniversary of the disaster.

Despite the controversy, “Modern Warfare 4” quickly topped South Korea’s sales charts on Steam shortly after its release.

The game follows a South Korean marine private defending against a North Korean invasion across recognisable Korean streets.

Before the game’s release, conservative South Korean politicians publicly urged President Lee Jae Myung, who favours a more conciliatory approach towards North Korea, to play the game to gain insight into what they described as the national security threat posed by Pyongyang.